Never say Never

When I started to knit socks, I never thought that I would knit them with size 1 needles.  Well, that changed.  Now I love using size 1 needles.  I feel that the sock is a denser knit and fits my foot better.

Then, I always thought that I would NEVER use size 0 needles.  Well, guess what?  For the first time, I AM using size 0 needles and it isn’t so bad.  I wanted to knit a pair of socks using a skein of yarn from my Wollmeise stash.  I picked Red Hot Chili in the 80/20 twin (since I have two skeins of this color).  I started out with size 1.5 needles using the no purl monkey sock pattern.  I didn’t like how it was knitting up and I didn’t like the pooling.  I went down to size 1 needles and used a basic sock pattern.  Still more pooling.

Then my knitting teacher pointed out that the knitting was loose and the repeat was longer.  So, stubborn me, decided to go down to size 0 needles with the same number of stitches on the needles (64).  I decided if I was going to use size 0 needles that I would use Addi’s and bought one in lace circular and one regular circular.  The striping is much better and I do not mind knitting with the smaller needles. Go figure.

It’s hard to tell from the picture, but the red striping also has a hot orange stripe on the top and bottom of the red.  I am so happy it finally worked out.

This week, I finished the Hearts-O-Plenty socks by Monica Jines.  I used size 1 needles with Sanguine Gryphon’s Bugga yarn in Pink Katydid.  I love these socks.

I also finished the March Mid Month KAL.  The pattern is Waves of Love by Sue Schaeffer.  I used Peaches in Crème yarn in Strawberry Cream with size 6 needles.  It’s a nice pattern.

I guess March was a pink month.

Spring is getting closer

Well, tomorrow is the first day of Spring.  I am so glad for that.  Yesterday was beautiful.  The temperature got close to 70.  Today is a little cooler, but the sun is shining.  Soon Maggie and I will be sitting on the back porch.

I am still working on my Hearts A Plenty sock by Monica Jines.  I am using Sanguine Gryphon’s Bugga in Pink Katydid.  Boy, do I really like the color of this yarn.  I would love to have another skein of it to make a small shawl.  I think it would look so cool!

I am close to half way finished with the Sunny Baby Blanket.  I really like this pattern.  I am using a size 8 needle with Plymouth Encore in colorway 9626.

I got my Loopy Ewe Spring Sock Club Shipment.  The yarn is Lorna’s Laces Honor, which is a 70% baby alpaca and 30% silk.  The colorway is called “The Loopy Ewe Shuffle”.  We got two patterns.  Wendy Johnson designed a shawl called Fire and Ice and Debbie O’Neill designed a cowl called Trickle Down.  Also, another Baggu bag came with the package.  This is the larger size.  It’s nice, but I prefer the smaller size.

One more shipment of this club will come next month.  I believe that I will not renew this club for the last half of the year.

Yes, I know…..more yarn?

I’m sorry, but I can’t resist.  I had to have these skeins of yarn.  If it makes me happy (which it does), then I say go for it.

I love String Theory Colorworks continuum yarn.  Simply Socks had a skein of the color Trifolium for St. Patricks day.  The yarn is so colorful, I couldn’t resist.  Can’t wait to see how this will knit up into a pair of socks.

Of course, I couldn’t pass up another skein of Twisted Limone’s Tangy 100 yarn in the color Northern Sky.  I guess you could say that stripes are really on my mind.

I was at my local yarn shop (The Knitter’s Edge) and they had a sample made up in the pattern 198 Yards of Heaven scarf by Christy Verity in Mountain Colors Twizzle in the ruby river colorway.  I love the yarn and the pattern looks great in this yarn.  It only takes one skein of yarn (198 yards), so how could I pass this up?

I was checking out the Loopy Ewe web site and came across Stricken Smitten's sinful sock yarn.  So, I had to try this in the color Plink.  Purple is one of my favorite colors.

Finally, one of my knitting friends put out a request for knitted baby blankets for a niece who works in a cardiac unit for children.  The Knitter’s Edge had some colors of Encore on sale, so I bought 4 skeins of color 9626 (it looks like a light denim color) to make the Sunny Baby Blanket.

So yes, I bought more yarn, but I am furiously knitting away with a smile on my face.

Girasole is Finished

Yes, I finally finished the Girasole.  I am so excited.  I just have to block it.  I really enjoyed knitting this pattern.  I got tired once I got to the edging and it seemed that it would take me so long to complete that I let this project sit on the needles for over a year.  I finally got it back out and after getting back in the groove, it took me less than a week to complete it.  I still have to block it, but here are the pictures.

I used Cascade Eco Alpaca in natural with size 10 needles.

I also blocked my Multnomah scarf.  Here is a picture of it blocking and after blocking.  I love the blocking wires.  This is the second project where I used the wires.

I also started another pair of socks.  The pattern is Hearts-a-Plenty by Monica Jines.  I really like her patterns.  I am using The Sanguine Gryphon’s Bugga yarn in Pink Katydid (from the bon bon kit) with size 1 needles.  I love, love, love this color and would really like to make a lace scarf out of it.  I hope she offers this color again.

I have had another busy knitting week.

Spring May Just be Around the Corner

It has been a little colder, but the temps have been in the high 30’s or low 40’s here and it feels a lot warmer than it has been.  It seems as if we will be in for some warmer weather for the next week, although we may have some rain.  Rain is okay.  What really makes me happy is that all the snow is melted in my yard.  So, no snow is wonderful.  Even Maggie keeps going to the back door to go out on the back porch.  Once I open the door, she sniffs and walks back in the house.  She’s ready to be sitting on the porch.

I did get quite a bit of knitting finished this week.  I finally completed the ripple afghan I was knitting for our new lazy boy chair.  I used Fantasy Naturale in color 8013 using size 8 needles.  I was really glad to be finished with this.

I also got the multnomah scarf completed.  I started this project back in 2009.  It feels good to get this off of my needles.  It wasn’t a bad pattern.  I guess I just got caught up in casting something new on the needles and this got put on the back burner.  I used String Theory Caper sock in color oban with size 3 needles.  I still have to block this and will probably do it over the weekend.  I will post the blocked scarf once that is done.

Also completed is the Eternity Scarf using Berroco’s Flicker yarn in color 3307 with size 9 needles.

I finished the March KAL for my dishcloth group.  The pattern is Katie the Kangaroo by Sonia’s Knits.  I used Peaches and Crème yarn in color misty grey with size 6 needles.

In my one dishcloth group, we had a dishcloth swap.  I was a  partner with Norma in Missouri.  She lives around St. Louis so she sent me a Darrel Waltrip dishcloth and a postcard from St. Louis.  I love the color.

After all of this finishing, I cast on for a new sock and cowl. I also plan on finishing my Girasole. I just need to knit the edging, but that will take some time. Pictures and details will be on the next blog post. Only 14 more days until Spring.